The present invention relates generally to packing apparatus and more particularly to apparatus for use in packing various types of materials such as grain, silage, etc. in long, large plastic bags for storage.
In the past, it has been common practice to construct large cylindrical structures called silos in order to store grain, green forage or the like for use in feeding livestock over the non-growing periods such as winters and the like. However, while these structures were well suited for their intended use, they required a substantial investment in terms of the cost of construction and maintenance thereof. Further, because these structures were generally designed to be filled from the top, it was necessary for specialized blower equipment to be purchased and erected. Also, the use of such structures is often potentially hazardous because material may become jammed at a level requiring personnel to enter the silo to dislodge the jam with the attendant possibility of a sudden release of the material occurring which could then result in injury.
More recently the construction and use of silos has been replaced by the use of large diameter elongated bags generally refered to as silo bags for storage of grain and other livestock feed. Typically, these silo bags are large (on the order of about 8 feet in diameter and upwards of 150 feet long or more) plastic bags or tubes into which the material to be stored is packed after which the ends are sealed. These bags may be filled at any desired location and when the material is needed, the livestock may be allowed to feed directly from the opened bag. Hence, these silo bags offer many significant advantages in terms of capital investment and convenience of use over the prior silo structures.
The present invention is directed to an improved apparatus for use in filling of these silo bags and includes a delivery auger supported in cantilevered relationship within an elongated tube which operates to delivery material from supply means to a packing chamber from which the material exits into a silo bag carried in surrounding relationship to and by the packing chamber portion. The delivery auger includes a shaft extension which extends a substantial distance into the packing chamber whereby the material may be compacted in surrounding relationship thereto and thereby provide additional bearing support for the auger during operation thereof. This configuration not only provides for stable, trouble-free support of the auger but also eliminates the need for any supporting obstructions over the operating length of the auger thus reducing the likelihood of equipment downtime due to jamming of the flowpath as well as facilitating cleaning thereof after use of the machine. This unobstructed flowpath is particularly advantageous when fibrous material such as chopped corn or other green forage material is being packed.
In order to supply material to the delivery auger a conveyor assembly is mounted on the machine extending laterally downwardly therefrom which receives material from transport means such as a wagon or truck. The conveyor assembly is movably supported on tracks secured to the machine and includes means for retracting it from the lowered or extended position so as to reduce the overall width of the machine sufficiently to enable highway transportation thereof without requiring removal of and separate transportation for the conveyor assembly.
An optional supply auger assembly is also provided which may be removably supported on the machine and used for packing of various types of granular materials such as grain or the like. This supply auger provides a far more efficient means for supplying of such materials to the delivery auger than the conveyor apparatus heretofore utilized and may be easily attached for use.
The delivery auger and associated tube are supported over a platform provided on the machine which offers the advantage of a convenient storge space to accommodate additional silo bags. Means are also provided whereby the supporting wheel positions may be adjusted to provide for increased ground clearance and/or wider tracking which may prove to be of substantial benefit when the machine is utilized in areas of rough or uneven ground contour.
Thus as indicated above and as will be more readily appreciated from the following detailed description, the present invention provides an extremely reliable, very sturdily built, improved packing machine which is particularly well designed to provide efficient trouble-free operation and is well adapted for a wide variety of applications under both preferred and adverse conditions.
Additional advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent description and the appended claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.